uered, or else rose higher in
partial defeat, for their progress was resumed, and comparative quiet
reigned again.

The higher clouds curved backward, affording a wider view of the heavens
far above, and, as all eyes turned instinctively in that direction,
Bruno involuntarily exclaimed:

"Still daylight! I thought--how long has this lasted?"

"It's the middle o' next week; no less!" positively affirmed his
brother. "Don't tell me! We've been in here a solid month, by my watch!"

Instead of making reply such as might have been expected from one of his
mathematical exactness, Professor Featherwit gave a cry of dismay, while
hurriedly moving to and fro in their contracted quarters, for the time
being forgetful of all other than this, his great loss.

"What is it, uncle Phaeton?" asked Bruno, rising to his knees in natural
anxiety. "Surely nothing worse than has already happened to us?"

"Worse? What could be worse than losing for ever--the camera, boys;
where is the camera, I ask you?"

Certainly not where the professor was looking, and even as he roared
forth that query, his heart told him the sad truth; past doubting,
the instrument upon whose aid he relied to place upon record these
marvellous facts, so that all mankind might see and have full faith, was
lost,--thrown from the aerostat, to meet with certain destruction, when
the vessel first came within the tornado's terrible clutch.

"Gone,--lost,--and now who will believe that we ever--oh, this is enough
to crush one's very soul!" mourned the professor, throwing up his
hands, and sinking back to the floor of the flying-machine in a limp and
disheartened heap for the time being.

Neither Bruno nor Waldo could fully appreciate that grief, since
thoughts and care for self were still the ruling passion with both; but
once more they were called upon to do battle with the swaying of the
winds, and once again were they saved only through that life-giving
cylinder of compressed air.

Presently, the heart-broken professor rallied, as was his nature, and,
with a visible effort putting his great loss behind him, endeavoured to
cheer up his comrades in peril.

"So far we have passed through all danger without receiving material
injury,--to ourselves, I mean,--and surely it is not too much to hope
for eventual escape?" he said, earnestly, pressing the hands of his
nephews, by way of additional encouragement.

"Yes," hesitated Bruno, with an involuntary shiver, as he